Jack Lucas
WestCoast Entertainment
What were you doing in 1979?
For me it was actually 1987, and I was just starting TicketsWest (formerly back then known as G&B Select-a-Seat), so the first conference I attended was 1988, and that was when INTIX was named BOMI (Box Office Managers International).
What drew you to INTIX?
I was drawn to INTIX because I was told that if you were in the ticketing business you had to be in attendance at BOMI (INTIX) conferences, because it provided educational tracks, vendor exhibits, etc. It was the place to be if you were in ticketing.
Talk about a mentor you met through INTIX and how that person helped better you personally and professionally.
Without a doubt, and I will say that again, without a doubt, it was Patricia (Pat) Spira, one of the founding members of BOMI/INTIX. Here I am, Jack Lucas, starting a computerized ticketing company from ground zero, with very little actual knowledge of the marketplace, very little knowledge about the ticketing business overall. The only thing I had was a strong will to succeed. Pat, for whatever reason, decided that she was going to help mentor me, and that started a lifetime friendship, that still is there today. Pat was instrumental in introducing me to many key ticketing personnel, to encouraging me to get involved in BOMI/INTIX, to instill in me to try and make a difference, and from that I became very involved in the association, serving on many committees over the years, and serving in whatever capacity was needed.
What’s an INTIX membership benefit that has been especially helpful to you?
It may sound elementary, but from my perspective, the ability to network with other ticketing professionals. It is amazing how much information is shared and learned from just networking with “like minds” from the industry. Also, INTIX has had a very strong reputation for providing outstanding educational tracks for the membership at conference time.
What business challenge has kept you awake at night the most over the course of your career?
Anyone that knows me knows the answer to this question, because I’ve said it time and time again. The thing that keeps me up/kept me up over the years is knowing that the team members that are working for me are making important life decisions based on their employment with TicketsWest. Whether that takes the form of deciding to buy their first house, have their first child, get married, whatever it was, it was important to me that I make sure that TicketsWest continued to grow, that revenues continued to grow, and that the business was stable and relevant, because I had people making important decisions based on their employment with TicketsWest. Plus, it was a motivator for me to keep working hard at expanding and building the business.
Given the constant advancements in technology, what’s the best way to maintain the human touch and personal service in ticketing?
You have to be present! You have to ensure you have that “one on one” with your clients. You can’t do that by sitting behind a desk. I believe that is what separates TicketsWest from a lot of the competitors. I make sure that I was out on the road visiting clients. Getting to know them. Building those relationships. Now the people that I mentored along the way are doing the same thing. You have to maintain that one on one relationship.
How do you see INTIX leading the way into the future of ticketing?
INTIX represents ticketing! INTIX has a responsibility to ensure that it stays relevant, informative, provides the education, and networking, for ticketing professionals around the world. Back in 1987 when I got involved in ticketing, we as ticketing professionals did not have seat at the table. When big entertainment events were being planned, you had the building managers, the operational managers, food and catering managers, sitting around a boardroom, all talking about how this large entertainment event was going to be planned and executed. The ticketing department was an afterthought. Now, because of BOMI/INTIX, ticketing professionals have a seat in the boardroom along with all of the other departments, when it comes to planning an entertainment event. No one now thinks that we sell tickets out of a show box! We are ticketing professionals. We are in a business that requires exceptional skills and professionalism. At the end of the day, an event starts with the purchase of a ticket. That ticket is the catalyst for everything that comes after.
What’s your favorite INTIX memory?
There are so many. So many people I have had the pleasure of knowing. The interactions. If there is one highlight, I would say that being presented with the Patricia Spira Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 was the high point of my ticketing career. Because Pat was such an important part of my professional life, this brought my career full circle. I was humbled then and I am still humbled that my peers would think that much of me, to award me the Lifetime Achievement Award.